WILL JOIN US TO TALK ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE AND WHAT OTHER STEPS THE CITY IS TAKING TO STOP IT. ONE FAVORITE AT THE ZOO IS GONE TONIGHT, GIRAFFE EUTHANIZED TODAY AFTER COLLAPSING YESTERDAY. ADRIENNE MOORE TALKS TO ZOO KEEPERS ABOUT HER DEATH. HOW HER CALF IS RESPONDING TO THE LOSS. TOMORROW, IN SWAHILI, THE NAME MEANS GIFT. ZOO KEEPERS TOLD US SHE HAS BEEN A GIFT TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST 19 YEARS. NOW, WE LEARNED EARLIER THIS EVENING THAT HER HEALTH HAD BEEN ON THE DECLINE OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO BUT THE REAL FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS ON HER CALF WHO WAS STILL BEING WEANED OFF HIS MOTHER AT THE TIME OF HER DEATH. SHE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT ARTHRITIC -- VERY ARTHRITIC AND STIFF AND SORE, SO WE KNEW SHE WAS IN FAILING HEALTH. IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS. WHAT IS OBVIOUS NOW THE CENTRAL FIGURE OF THE GIRAFFE OVERLOOK EXHIBIT IS GONE FROM THE JACKSONVILLE ZOO. SHE JUST WENT DOWN ON EXHIBIT, VET STAFF AND THE ZOO KEEPER STAFF WORKED TO GET HER UP AGAIN BUT JUST WERE UNABLE TO AND REALIZED SEVERAL HOURS LATER THAT THERE WAS NO HOPE FOR HER. FINALLY AFTER GIVING HER FLUIDS AND RUNNING COUNTLESS TESTS, THE TOUGH DECISION WAS MADE TO EUTHANIZE. THIS IS AN ANIMAL THAT EVERYBODY AT THE ZOO KNEW. EVERYBODY IS FEELING BAD ABOUT IT TODAY. ZOO KEEPERS TELL US THAT AT 19, SHE WAS THE OLDEST GIRAFFE AND HAD GIVEN BIRTH TO EIGHT CALVES AT THE ZOO, MOST RECENT WAS IN FEBRUARY. OUR BIGGEST CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THAT SHE HAD A YOUNGSTER AND THE YOUNGSTER WAS MOSTLY WEANED BUT STILL NURSING A LITTLE BIT SO THE ZOO KEEPERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP ATTENTION ON THE BABY AND RIGHT DIET TO GET IT THROUGH THIS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ZOO KEEPERS POINTED OUT EARLIER TODAY, TOM, WAS THE BOND THAT THEY SHARE WITH THESE ANIMALS. OF COURSE, THEY KNOW THE NATURE OF THIS JOB, MANY OF THESE ANIMALS ARE GOING TO DIE BEFORE THEY DO. BUT THEY SAY HAVING AN ANIMAL LIKE SUWATI19 YEARS, THE LOSS IS JUST FELT ALL ACROSS THE ZOO. THEY ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME WITH IT TONIGHT. REPORTING LIVE, ADRIENNE MOORE, CHANNEL 4 THE LOCAL STATION. ADRIENNE, THE ZOO KEEPERS MENTION THAT SHE HAD ARTHRITIS BUT DID THE TESTS FIND ANY OTHER TYPE OF INFECTION OR DISEASE? TOM, RIGHT NOW THE TESTS SO FAR HAVEN'T BEEN ANYTHING DEFINITIVE OR CONCLUSIVE IN TERMS OF ANY ILLNESS, INFECTION, DISEASE. WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S NECROPSY AND OTHER LAB WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. HOPEFULLY, THAT WILL BRING THEM

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens officials have announced the humane euthanasia of Zawadi, the giraffe who collapsed Monday in the giraffe overlook exhibit.

The 19-year-old giraffe (seen here with one of her calves), was sitting down when she fell over on her side. Visitors were evacuated from the zoo's giraffe exhibit out of respect for the animal's condition.

Zoo staff worked with Zawadi Monday afternoon, giving her fluids, running tests to determine what was wrong and attempting to get her to her feet. But zoo officials said the effort proved too great for the stability of Zawadi's health.

A necropsy and lab work is scheduled for the next couple of days to try and reach a definitive answer on her cause of death.

"Our biggest concern right now is that she had a youngster," said zoo spokesman Tony Vecchio. "The youngster was mostly weened but was still nursing a little bit, so zookeepers are really going to have to pay attention to that baby and make sure it gets enough attention and the right diet to get it through this."

Zoo officials said Zawadi had no serious medical history prior to this sudden unexplained illness, and initial tests have provided no conclusive evidence of infection or disease.

Zawadi was the zoo's oldest giraffe and had given birth to eight calves at the Jacksonville Zoo, including her most recent in February.

“Zawadi was a favorite among Zoo staff, especially her keepers,” Jacksonville Zoo supervisor of mammals Corey Neatrour said in a news release. “While very difficult to lose her, it was moving to see so many departments work tirelessly throughout the day to provide her the best possible care and attempt to get her to her feet. She will be greatly missed.”

Zoo officials said Zawadi's youngest calf will be given special attention by keepers to ensure his diet and health are properly maintained without his mother.

“Losing an animal is always difficult for our staff especially after the team worked so hard and so long to save Zawadi,” Dan Maloney, deputy director of Conservation and Education, said in a news release. “We take some comfort from the fact that her passing was peaceful, and her caregivers were there with her to cradle and stroke her head during her transition.”

Copyright 2014 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments

The views expressed below are not those of News4Jax or its affiliated companies. By clicking on "Post," you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and your comment is in compliance with such terms. Readers, please help keep this discussion respectful and on topic by flagging comments that are offensive or inappropriate (hover over the commenter's name and you'll see the flag option appear on right side of that line). And remember, respect goes both ways: Tolerance of others' opinions is important in a free discourse. If you're easily offended by strong opinions, you might skip reading comments entirely.

National News

Thousands of California acres are ablaze as firefighters battle at least 21 wildfires throughout the state, but while many of those fires are small or mostly contained, the wind and heat that are spreading the Rocky Fire in Northern California -- and...